


Life Can Be Beautiful

by pinksunshinewrites



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Heathers: The Musical References, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinksunshinewrites/pseuds/pinksunshinewrites
Summary: September 1stDear Diary,I like to think that I'm a good person...Glimmer is a senior at Etheria High, ready to blow this town and head off to college already. But when she makes good with the popular girls and betrays her best friend Adora, just in time for her childhood friend Bow to come back into to town and witness, she realizes there's some serious unfinished business for her to take care ofDo you ever get fixated on two things at once and get a really self indulgent idea? That's basically what's happening here. It's Heathers: the Musical but make it She Ra.
Relationships: Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Glimmer & Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is super self indulgent, I don't even care if no one else likes it. I highly recommend listening to some music from Heathers: The Musical before reading because while this won't be a 1 to 1 Heathers to She Ra, it'll be helpful to know where some of the inspiration came from. This is my first time posting to A03, so I'm still getting used to the UI, but I'm gonna try to use the notes to say which songs inspired which chapters. Chapter 1 is inspired by the songs Beautiful and Candy Store!

_September 1st_

__

__

_Dear Diary,_

_I like to think that I'm a good person…_

I sighed as my "sister" Adora's car screeched into the student parking lot of Etheria High School. Today was the first day of our senior year of high school.

Adora isn't really my sister. She basically moved in with me shortly after we started high school. My mom loves her and is almost never home so after some brief objections from my Aunt and some forged paperwork, Adora stayed with us. She usually drove us to school- I have like ZERO sense of direction- and today was no different.

"Just another year at the thunderdome…" I heard Adora grumble as she reached in the backseat for her backpack. I laughed as I slipped on my favorite pink hoodie.

"Come on, Adora, it's not that bad." _That's a lie._ We got out of our car and made our way to the building. "Just a few more months of this, then we're off to college, right?"

She shrugged at me, but gave me a small smile. In spite of being such a great athlete she still got a lot of shit just like the rest of us.

"I'll see you at lunch, Glimmer."

So, introduction time! My name is Glimmer. My mom is the head of Moonstone Industries and is also the head of city council. Hence why she isn't home very often. As I said before, I'm a senior at Etheria High School and… Really, Adora is my only friend.

It didn't always used to be that way though. We used to have a bunch of friends when we were younger. But sometime between kindergarten and now that all changed. I don't know what exactly changed but I look around at these people that I've known my entire life and it's like… I dunno, some of us were revealed some fabulous secret about how to… look hot? I swear some girls could wear the same jeans and tee shirt as me and look like a model while I still look like I always have. The fact that I'm so short paired with my smaller chest and rounder face makes me feel like I still look like freshman year Glimmer, too young to match up with the rest of my peers. Honestly, the only thing that sets me apart from middle school Glimmer is my wider hips and fuller ass and thighs. I don't always mind my smaller appearance though. It makes it easier to blend in with a crowd, if I hide my messy pink hair with a hoodie. Sometimes not standing out is the better option as opposed to-

_"Watch it, skank!"_

__

__

_"Out of my way, geek!"_

… Can I just fully disappear into the hood of my jacket now? Before I stop fighting the urge to set the building on fire?

When it was finally lunch time, Adora and I made our way to an empty table. Before I could ask her how her morning went I noticed she was staring at a table behind us- who is she looking- oh, of course.

So, those friends I mentioned before? Adora was looking at 3 of them. The only 3 people in all of Etheria High who were just completely left alone. No one would shove them around or call them names. They were… Well, we didn't really have a name for them as a unit. Mostly cause there was absolutely no reason they should work as a unit.

First there was Scorpia. Big, tall, buff and optimistic to a fault. The football team wanted her to be their linebacker and the cheerleading squad wanted her for her relentless positivity. It was a coin toss each year to see which one she would go with. Also her moms are _loaded._ Rumor had it that they descended from royalty for a country that doesn't exist anymore.

Then there was Entrapta, on the fast track to a full ride at the top tech school in the nation. She wasn't really good with people, which is probably why she was left alone. No fun to mess with someone who doesn't understand you're messing with them. Her dad was the head of engineering for Black Garnet Industries, my mom's rival company. Which brings us to…

Catra. The almighty. Her dad ran Black Garnet Industries. She could belittle, bully or threaten her way into getting anything she's ever wanted.

She is a _mythic bitch._

And Adora is absolutely and totally in denial about her undying love for her.

I snapped my fingers in front of her face to get her attention and laugh when she looks so confused.

"Adora, it's been years when are you gonna stop drooling over Catra?"

"I just… I know that she-"

"- is a giant bitch that's done nothing but torment you since we hit puberty? Yeah, I've noticed." I sighed as I pushed the food on my tray around. "I can't say I blame you. I would kill to be… Just left alone, like they are. Solid teflon."

"I just wish she'd be nicer…"

"Oh, Adora… She was never that nice."

That got her smiling again. When I noticed there were only a few minutes until the lunch bell would ring, I decided to risk running to the bathroom before class, but just as I reached the door

_-briiiing!-_

Shit. Late on the first day. Oh well. Might as well go to the bathroom anyway.

Before stepping inside I heard voices already in there. Ms. Weaver, the school councilor and-

"Catra. I would expect such behavior from _you_ on the first day of school, but to drag your friends down with you-"

"Entrapta said she felt sick-" She was definitely tinkering with the automatic flush on the toilets, just like she was trying to at the end of the last school year. "- so we were helping her."

"And I assume you have a hall pass for such assistance?" There was a pause and… I don't know what came over me. I flipped to a blank page in my notebook and started writing quickly.

"Week's detention, all three of you."

"Actually, Ms. Weaver!" I burst in with an innocent smile, piece of paper stretched out in my slightly clammy hand. "All 4 of us are out on a hall pass… For. Yearbook committee."

Hoping my smile didn't break I watched as Ms. Weaver scanned the note, looking for a sign of forgery and…

"Seems all 4 of you are here. Fine. Hurry up and get to class."

Once Ms. Weaver left and handed me back the pass, I let out a sigh of relief before the note was snatched from my hands by Catra.

"Wow… This looks _exactly_ like the yearbook advisor's handwriting. Impressive. Where'd a goody goody like you learn to forge shit?"

"O-oh well… When your mom is gone all the time… Permission slips don't sign themselves you know? And it just sorta spiraled from there. Look, I kinda just saved your butt just now, I want a favor."

Entrapta had emerged from the stall- yep, there's a screwdriver in her hand, she was messing with the automatic flush- and helpfully piped up.

"Ohhhh, I know you! Your mom runs Moonstone Industries and-"

"Shut up, Entrapta."

"Sorry!"

"Moonstone Industries, huh? Well Sparkles, today could be your lucky day…"

"Actually, Catra, I think her name is Glimmer."

"Isn't that what I said, Scorpia? Anyway, what sort of favor are you looking for?"

I was tempted to correct her on my name first, but that could've counted as my favor- Catra would be that kind of negotiator.

"Just… please let me sit at your lunch table, just for one day. If people think you put up with me, then they'll leave me alone! And if it'll sweeten the deal, I also do permission slips, report cards, absence notes-"

"How about a city permit for-"

"Not now, Entrapta!"

"Sorry!"

"Like I was saying… Just sitting with us at lunch? Mmm… Okay, fine. This could be the start of something beautiful."

I all but sighed in relief, if it were anyone but Catra, I'd go in for a hug. Though, looking at Scorpia, maybe someone here would take it…

"But if you're gonna roll with us, we have got to do something about that outfit. You're a rich kid for fucks sake, let's get you dressed like one."

\-----------

_September 22nd_

__

__

_Dear Diary,_

_It's been 3 weeks since Catra let me sit at the lunch table with them and I've been sitting with them for the FULL THREE WEEKS. They got me wearing SKIRTS! AND SHORTS! I haven't worn those to school in YEARS! I don't think I've ever felt so… pretty. We're… friends? Not really? Sorta feels more like we're business partners and my job in the business is to forge notes to get us out of trouble._

_… I miss Adora. Catra picks me up every day and drives me to school and when we're not at school Adora avoids me at home by going to spend time with her soccer friends. She's probably mad at me. I don't blame her._

"Glimmer!"

Entrapta's shrill voice startles me, making me jump and almost drop my diary.

"Catra wants you to get to the lunch table, ASAP! Says it's really important!"

"Catra says that about everything…"

"And?"

There's really no talking to Entrapta. I sigh and shake my head as we make our way to the table, while I slip my diary back in my backpack. Catra looked as irritated as ever, practically growling as we approached.

"What took you so long? Don't answer that, I don't care. I need you to forge a note in my handwriting."

"I… I'm sorry? Why would I forge your handwriting? Write it yourself."

"Mmm how about no? First and most importantly, I don't want to. Secondly, I just wanna see how good you really are."

This would be the farthest thing from a test, Catra's messy scrawl could be copied by any toddler that could hold a pencil. I repress an eye roll and pull out a blank sheet of paper.

"Fine, what do you want it to say."

"That's what I thought." God I'd like to slap that smirk off her face. "Start it like this: _'Hey Adora… I've been thinking about the old days. Meet me at Lonnie's homecoming party this weekend.'-_ "

"Woah, woah, woah, you and Adora haven't spoken since like, middle school, why are you-"

For the first time in the whole three weeks I hear Catra laugh, like really laugh.

"Yeah and I just found out she's like, _obsessed_ with me. I just wanna see how far this all goes."

"No."

You could practically hear Catra's neck crack she turned to face me so fast.

"What?"

"I said _no._ I won't let you hurt Adora. You can push around anyone you want, belittle and torment whoever. But leave. Adora. _Alone._ "

I jump as Catra slaps her hands on the table, barely giving me time to react before she's gripping my cheek.

"Do you understand what I've done for you? I gave you _exactly_ what you asked for. Everyone leaves you alone now. Even better, everyone _loves_ you and your little makeover. That is all because of us." Her sharp nails dig into my skin. "Do you think Adora cares about _you?_ I could snap my fingers and she'd come running. If I gave her your shot, she'd leave you to _rot._ So if you know what's good for you, _finish the note."_

She drags her nails down my face and I can't be sure if it's bleeding or not. With Catra storming to the bathroom, I finish the note and hand it to Entrapta to get to Adora, leaving me alone with Scorpia.

"Hey… Sorry. About that. She's… complicated, but under it all she's really…" I've already stopped listening. If there's anything I've learned in these 3 weeks it's that the only person more desperate to defend Catra than Adora is Scorpia. "She's a good friend. She just has to warm up to you."

"Thanks, Scorpia… I um… I've got my powder in my locker, I'm gonna… I'm gonna go check on my face." 

My pathetic excuse aside, I grab my bag and rush to my locker, gritting my teeth to keep myself from crying as I look for my mirror.

"Glimmer?"

That voice sounds… Familiar, but not quite. It's too deep to be…

"Glimmer, is that you?"

I turn around to face the voice and let the powder fall from my hand. Tall, kind face, dark eyes, looking at me with the same disbelief. My heart is doing flips.

"Bow…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, still getting used to the UI here but I guess we're doing this! Something I didn't mention before is that this is my first time writing fanfic in about 3 years, so I'm a little rusty, but hopefully it starts improving as chapters go on! This chapter was inspired by the songs Freeze Your Brain (minorly) and Big Fun. Those of you who are familiar with the musical may notice I've skipped Fight For Me. This is intentional. Part of the "not a 1 to 1" thing

_5 years ago_

_I ran over to the moving truck, tears already running down my face._

_"Bow!"_

_My childhood best friend stood in the yard of his house next to a "For Sale" sign, managing a smile with watery eyes for me._

_"Hey Glimmer…"_

_I don't even give him time to finish any thought that might come next before I throw myself at him for a bone crushing hug that he returns._

_"Don't go… Please don't go…"_

_"I'm sorry, Glimmer. You know I don't have a choice… I. I'm sorry."_

I wasn't sure how I would respond to seeing Bow again. I knew I was happy, and so, _so_ , excited, but also…

_"You jerk!"_

I guess my body made that decision before me, as I found myself smacking at Bow's chest, laughing as tears streamed down my face.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back! You couldn't call? Write? Hell, I would've taken a carrier pigeon or a smoke signal!"

When it became obvious that I wasn't actually mad, Bow laughed and grabbed my wrists so I'd stop slapping him.

"Sorry, sorry! I wasn't sure until a couple weeks ago! I thought it might not be until next semester, and I wanted to surprise you!"

"Well it was a really dumb surprise!" Freeing my wrists with ease, I wrap my arms around him for a hug like nothing has changed. However my burning face at feeling the muscles under his shirt remind me that some things have _definitely_ changed. Before I can think too much about that I pulled back and grimace when I see I left mascara stains on his shirt.

"Again, sorry… But it's so good to see you again! You look…" It's a good thing my tears were helping mask my blush, because watching Bow's eyes roam over my body tell me exactly where his head is at. He clears his throat before he finishes his thought. "I don't think I've seen you wear a skirt since Lonnie called you thunder thighs in fourth grade."

Is _that_ why I stopped wearing skirts? Jeez, that's-

"I'm glad to see you realized how dumb she was. You look really beautiful. Mascara tracks and all." He adds with a teasing smirk as he passes me a tissue to clean my face.

"Glimmer!"

I yelp as Adora comes rushing over. Oh, right, we're still in school.

"Glimmer look, I- oh, wow, hey Bow!"

"Good to see you again, Adora."

"Same, but Glimmer, check it out. Catra… invited me to Lonnie's homecoming party this weekend. Maybe… Maybe things are changing."

I hope my smile is convincing enough.

"Yeah… yeah, maybe they are."

"I guess… I'll see you there then! I gotta go grab my trig book before class, bye!"

Once I'm sure Adora is out of earshot I groan and let my head rest against my locker.

"You know something about this don't you?"

"What? _Nooo_ , why would I know anything about what Catra's doing?" I try to smile again but can tell Bow is thoroughly unconvinced. "Okay, fine. I know that this is… something. But I don't know what. All I know is that Catra didn't write that note… she had me do it." 

_"What!"_

"I know! I know it's stupid, it's so _beyond_ stupid and I shouldn't have ever tried to be all buddy buddy with Catra in the first place but I'm in too deep and I just. I don't know, I panicked!"

"Glimmer… Look, I. I'm not just gonna walk back into your life and tell you what to do. But you _know_ what you have to do. Try to convince Adora not to go to the party and if she does anyway, keep an eye on her."

"I know. I've got this under control."

\--------------------  
_September 24th_

_Dear Diary,_

_Tonight is Lonnie's party. On the bright side, Adora has been talking to me more since the note thing! On the other side, I have no idea if she's going to the party. I do NOT have this under control._

"Have you guys seen Sparkles _drooling_ over the new guy."

Catra was already laughing as she drove us to Lonnie's party. Some days it's not worth correcting her but I was feeling bold.

"Bow isn't new, he went to elementary school with the rest of us. He's been living abroad with his dads while they were on an archeological dig or something."

"An archeological dig! Did they find anything-?"

"Shut up, Entrapta!"

"Sorry!"

Sometimes I wonder what goes on in Entrapta's head, but Catra never lets her finish her thoughts. I shook my head as Catra parks the car. _This isn't Lonnie's party…_

"Why are we at a 7-Eleven?"

"Weren't you listening, Sparkles? We need to get snacks for the party. Or. _You_ will be getting the snacks. And hurry, we're already running behind."

She definitely didn't say any of that, but if it means 5 minutes away from Catra I'll take it. Chip orders barked at me, I almost eagerly climbed out of the car and made my way to the chip aisle. My arms were full of chips in less than a minute, but I wasn't fully ready to get back in the car. I needed a Big Gulp.

I set all my chips down by the drink counter and grinned when I found Bow.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were following me. What are you doing here?"

He looks up from his cup and smiles at me.

"You know, 7-Elevens aren't exactly easy to come by at a dig site? I haven't had a Slurpee in _five years_ , Glimmer. Want one?"

"No, but if you grab my Big Gulp I'll pay for yours."

"Don't you have a party you're late for? Cherry or Blue Raspberry?"

_Why is he like this!_

"Well since you know everything, you pick for me."

We stick our tongues out at each other and laugh as he fills up a cherry Slurpee for me. Huh… so he remembers.

Even though Bow has only been back for a couple days, we slipped easily back into our old banter. However it didn't feel like childhood teasing anymore. No, it had certainly evolved into shameless, unabashed flirting, each of us tiptoeing closer to the unspoken question of where we really stood.

Catra starts honking the horn outside, shattering my bliss.

"Ugh! Catra is the worst!"

"Yeah, about that… Are you… okay? Why are you hanging out with her?"

"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Glimmer."

I crossed an arm over my chest and looked at the linoleum floor while I sipped my Slurpee. Bow had good reason to be worried. The last time he'd seen me, I'd been going through a bit of a… phase of sorts.

You see, my dad died suddenly when I was 7. I wasn't quite old enough to understand what happened and as I got older, I just got… _angry_ because people just avoided it, never bringing him up or talking to me about it at all. To top it all off, in her grief, my mom threw herself into her work, often leaving me alone with my Aunt who wanted to talk about her brother's death even less than my mom did. It all came to a head when I lashed out and started a fist fight with Perfuma during recess one day for absolutely no reason. That all seemed so long ago, it feels like one day my anger just… stopped.

I don't really remember why it stopped so suddenly… come to think of it, I don't really remember a lot of things from growing up. The last 5 years were extra fuzzy. That's probably not normal...

"I promise, I'm fine. Better than ever, really!"

And I really was! The last couple days I really felt happier than I have in years. I never have been a good liar, especially not to Bow so I'm sure he can tell that I'm being genuine. Before he could think up a response, Catra stormed in.

"What is taking you so long, Sparkles! I said we were running late! Get your ass out here, so we can get to Kyle's before all the booze is gone."

"Wait, what? I thought this was Lonnie's party?"

"Yeah, Lonnie's hosting it but Kyle's parents are out of town. But… come on. Even a former loser like you wouldn't go to a party if _Kyle_ was in charge."

I'm not gonna give her the validation, but she's totally right. Shooting Bow an apologetic look I gathered up the chips and went to pay.

"I'll see you later, Bow."

\---------------

"Okay, okay so it's salt, then lime and theeeenn shot!"

This party was awesome! Why didn't I go to more parties?

Oh right, because I didn't get invited to them. But! No sign of Adora, so I had nothing to watch out for or worry about!

Scorpia had been trying to teach me to do tequila shots for like 20 minutes now, but I still don't see how there's a wrong way to do them.

"Actually, it's salt, then shot-"

" _Christ_ , Sparkles, how are you bad at taking shots!" 

"Really? I'm bad at this? Cause I feel _amazing_!"

All Catra had to offer was an eye roll while Scorpia tried to hide a laugh in her hand. Sometime during the night we'd lost Entrapta, which Catra had written off as 'She's probably improving their home security system or trying to make their coffee maker sentient'. Catra had seemed to have enough of my "bad" shot taking and left to wander another part of the party, leaving me alone with Scorpia again.

"So… why didn't you invite Bow to this?"

I blinked as I tried to process Scorpia's question. I didn't think I could invite anyone to this party… but looking around, there were _so many people here_. I'm pretty sure I saw people from the rival school!

"Oh, no… I totally should've invited him, you're right! He's gonna hate me, I don't know what I'm gonna do if Bow hates me!"

"Oh, god, you're one of those girls that cries when she's drunk aren't you? Uhh, okay, it's gonna be okay! Don't cry! I'm sure he's not gonna hate you. How could anyone hate you? You're like… so nice, and smart and _pretty_ and _sparkly_!"

I don't think I actually started crying- I didn't feel any tears on my cheeks- but I definitely sniffled a little after Scorpia's barrage of compliments.

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so! You know, why aren't you a cheerleader? You're like, the _perfect_ size to be a flyer!"

"Me? A cheerleader?" I felt bad for snorting because Scorpia was being so genuine, but- "Absolutely _no one_ wants to see me cheer. My mom had my try gymnastics when I was a kid but I-"

"See! I knew you'd be a flyer!"

"-And maybe I'm flyer sized for someone as strong as you-"

"Which is anyone that can pick up the flyers! See?"

I didn't even have time to object before Scorpia was lifting me off the ground as if I were a doll. The room was spinning, but that was probably just because it happened so fast. Huh, is this what it's like to be tall? I heard myself laughing along with Scorpia as she kept trying to lift me higher, people around us were watching.

"Put me down, this is _so_ not safe! And I have to pee!"

Sober enough to listen to reason, Scorpia gently set me back on the ground and pointed me towards the bathroom. The door was closed but as I turned the knob, it didn't seem to be locked-

_"AHH!"_

_"Ah!"_

"You _idiot_! You didn't lock the-!"

I quickly slammed the bathroom door shut behind me. Wow, didn't realize the party was going _"get to third base in the bathroom"_ well. Was that… Mermista? With the guy from our English class' head between her legs? She ranted and raved about how annoying he was, and I can admit he was a _very_ over the top flirt… Shit, what's his stupid nickname? Hawk something… Either way, I owe Adora $5, she totally called that one.

Speaking of Adora, my heart sank as I caught a glimpse at the front door and saw a poof of blonde hair walking in.

"No…"

I had to get her out of here, before Catra-

"What are you doing here?"

Too late

"I… you invited me, Catra… I wasn't gonna come, but the more I thought about it-"

"Well, you shouldn't have come! I don't want you here! _Nobody_ wants _you_ here!"

"Leave her alone, Catra!"

"Oh, you would jump to her defense, wouldn't you Sparkles? Has she ever told you why she wanted to be your friend so suddenly in middle school?"

Now Adora looked nervous.

"Catra, this doesn't involve Glimmer-"

"Of course it does! It always comes back to Sparkles, because you found out what happened and couldn't deal so you left!"

"Catra, please, can we not do this now?"

I was completely lost. This is the most I've seen Catra and Adora talk since before high school and I had no idea what they were talking about. Seeing my confused look, Catra smirked.

"Oh, wow… you really didn't tell her, did you?"

"Told me what?"

"Glimmer, let's just go."

Adora took my arm and started pulling me to the door, but Catra took my other hand and spun me back towards her. Oh boy, the room is spinning again.

"Hey, don't spin me, I don't feel-"

"If you walk out that door with her, _I will end you_ , Sparkles. You got that?"

Oh no. I could feel my stomach churning as Catra spoke. I couldn't stop it, I leaned forward and hurled all over her. Oh that feels so much better. And then immediately worse.

Catra screamed as she shoved me back towards Adora.

"I made you! I gave you _everything_ you asked for! And this is the thanks I get! Get out of my sight! But know that come Monday, _you're dead._ "

"Oh, lick it up, bitch!"

Adora was already dragging me out the door as I finished my pathetic excuse for a comeback, my heart sinking and filled with dread.

"Adora, what was she talking about? That you never told me something?"

She looked nervous as we walked to her car.

"Glimmer let's just go home."

"Wait, wait… Is she… was she telling the truth? Are you hiding something from me?"

"Glimmer, I-"

I freed my arm from Adora's grip, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You are hiding something."

"Glimmer, please can we not do this right now?"

"No! I'm not going anywhere with you if you're hiding stuff from me! Drive yourself home, I'm walking."

With that I turned away and started walking in the direction that I was 80% sure was towards my house.

"Glimmer! You're gonna get lost!"

Maybe I would, but right now, I didn't care. I couldn't stand to spend another minute with Adora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys know memory loss is a symptom of depression? Cause that's a thing I learned this year. Not so fun fact


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I. This is the chapter that made me write the whole fic. Cause I was listening to Dead Girl Walking and my brain went "... Glimbow". I have read over this so many times that I hate it now. Before you continue, I'll remind you this fic is rated mature and not explicit because I can't write smut to save my life. This is all just very heavily implied. So, sorry if you were expecting something super spicy. And/or you're welcome, depending on who you are as a person. I already said it but this is just Dead Girl Walking. Also I think this is weirdly the shortest chapter so I don't know how that happened

Okay, I was definitely lost.

I'd been walking around the neighborhood for what felt like forever. Why did I choose this hill to die on?

Just me. Alone. In the dark. With my thoughts.

_Catra might seriously kill me on Monday…_

I _threw up_ on the meanest bitch at Etheria High. Glad I had fun at that party up until then because it could be my last weekend for fun.

Maybe I didn't have to die. Maybe I could forge enough paperwork to transfer to another school. Change my name, move out of state and start over!

… Who am I kidding, I'm lost in _my own neighborhood_ right now, I'd definitely get lost trying to cross state lines. I can brainstorm more ways to get out of my execution later, I should really focus on finding my way home right now. Puking on Catra had sobered me up quite a bit, but sober Glimmer still didn't know where she was going. Just in general, but especially not now.

Taking note of my surroundings I saw I'd reached a house with a "SOLD" sign in the yard. Of course my feet just managed to take me to the exact place I wanted to be.

_Maybe the fun doesn't have to stop with the party…_

All the lights were off, but that wasn't a problem. What was I gonna do? Knock on the door and say _'Hey Lance! Hey George! Good to see you again, can I come in and have my way with your youngest son?'_

No, I'd have to find another way in. Creeping my way into the backyard I pursed my lips as I tried to decipher which room might be Bow's. Squinting in the darkness, I could make out the edges of one of his archery figurines on the windowsill- _on the 2nd floor._

But. There was a drainpipe right by the window. All I had to do was shimmy my way up there and get the window open. Easy!

It… actually was easier than I was expecting it to be. Maybe my mom and Scorpia had a point, maybe I _should_ have stuck with gymnastics. I probably could've been really good at it if I'd tried.

I definitely needed to work on my landings since I landed with a rough thud on Bow's bedroom floor, which woke him up almost immediately. He shot straight out of bed and flipped on a lamp, relaxing when he saw me ungracefully sprawled.

"Glimmer? What are you doing in my room?"

In the soft light created by his lamp, I got a good look at Bow. Everything about him was just _stupidly_ handsome, his features radiating warmth and kindness. He was tall and his frame was well toned, it almost made me feel frumpy in comparison. _He could do so much better than me, why I am even here?_. However, my landing had flipped my skirt up and I just happened to catch the way his face change when he got a glimpse of my nice panties. Any brief moment of doubt faded as I reminded myself that Bow was just as flirty with me as I was with him.

Well. I made it this far, no sense backing down now.

"Is it _that_ weird? We used to have sleepovers all the time back in the day!"

"Uh, yeah? Cause we were kids then and our parents signed off on that and also _we didn't break into each other's houses._ "

Shit. He was making a lot of sense. I pulled myself off of the floor and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. _Time to dial the charm up to 11._

"I just… I couldn't stop thinking about you… And the more I thought about you, the more I thought about how good you might look on top of me. Or under me."

I frowned as he wrinkled his nose at my advance.

"Nice try. You _reek_ of tequila and weed."

"That's just my clothes! People were smoking at the party, I didn't have any... Bet I'd smell a lot better if you ripped them off me."

" _Wow_ , okay." He gingerly took my forearms in his hands and guided me to sit on his bed. "I'm gonna go get you some mouthwash and water and _we_ are gonna have a serious conversation about this."

Oh. Right. I probably had puke breath. I was trying to make us have our first kiss with _puke breath._

Once I was minty fresh, we sat next to each other on his bed, me keeping my arms crossed out of embarrassment. I gave him a rundown of how I'd ended up here, waiting for him to respond.

"So… you're convinced Catra is going to kill you. So you came _here_ , because…?"

He was really gonna make me say it?

I finally uncrossed my arms to take his hand and look him in the eyes.

"Because you're the most _important_ person in the world to me and without even trying my mind… just knew I had to come here. To be with you. Because… because I love you, Bow. _I love you_ , I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember in one way or another and I didn't want to waste a single minute more not showing you just _how much_ I love you."

His whole face softened, his hands gently squeezing mine, making my heart do flips as he leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"I love you too. I missed you _so_ much… but I don't wanna take advantage of you while you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk! Anymore… could a drunk person climb up a drain pipe and open up a window from the outside without falling?"

"Alright, you got me there… Stubborn as you are, I don't think even _you_ could pull that off if you were _really_ drunk."

"Uh huh…" I was grinning as I sensed that I was maybe going to get my way, not so subtly scooting myself closer to Bow.

"Okay, second problem. I don't have any condoms"

"I'm a virgin and I'm on the pill." I snaked my arm to wrap around his strong shoulders, practically sitting in his lap while my other hand slipped under his shirt, enjoying the feeling of his leanly muscled torso. I could feel a shiver run through his body as I touched him. "No diseases, no babies over here."

I could tell his resolve was weakening as he let one hand trail down my side, a slow, tentative exploration of my curves, stopping to rest on my hip.

"I'd… be lying if I said I didn't want to. You are _so_ beautiful and special and important to me. There isn't anyone else I'd wanna do this with. I just. I don't want you to be doing this as a reaction to your bad night."

"Oh, Bow…" I ran my thumb over his cheekbone, admiring his kind, handsome features. "Sweet, sweet Bow…"

We'd done enough talking now, right? I gave him a wicked smirk before tackling him back on his bed, straddling his hips and pinning his arms over his head. His voice cracks adorably as he yelps. I was right, he _does_ look great under me.

"You think entirely too much. It's one of the many things I love about you. Right now, there is no Catra, no Adora, no high school bullshit. I'm all yours and you're all mine. So let's leave everything else outside and just enjoy this beautiful, _beautiful_ alone time. Okay?"

I watch as his concern melts into a lopsided grin, letting one of his hands free so he can gently pull my head down towards his.

"Okay." 

Our lips finally met and the rest of the world truly disappeared.

\----------------------

"When did you get tattoos?"

Bow murmured as he trailed his fingers over my shoulder blades and the small pink wings that decorated them. I laughed at the memory and rolled over to face him.

"A couple months ago. I went with pink for some low commitment rebellion."

"I have a hard time believing Angella agreed to that."

"That's why she doesn't know about them. Haven't worn a tank top around her since then."

He laughs at that and laces our fingers together. It was truly incredible how Bow managed to be even more handsome in the afterglow. It was almost unfair to the rest of the world to keep such a beautiful person all to myself. Almost.

"It's so weird… It's like I've known you forever yet I'm getting to know you all over again. _My_ Glimmer, but even better…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean… 5 years apart will do that… You have so many callouses on your fingers, were you helping your dads with the dig in between homeschooling?"

"Ah… um. No, not quite." Why was he so bashful _now_ , I've already seen him naked. "I actually… tried taking up archery for a bit. I got pretty good at it! There weren't really a ton people my age to hang out with out there so I had time to practice…"

I wasn't tuning him out because I was bored. Not at all, I just got distracted watching his eyes light up while he talked about his passion. _Please stop being so handsome and sweet and amazing, my heart can only take so much._

"You talked about it so much when we were kids, I'm glad you finally got to give it a try."

He gave me a smile that made me melt before he kissed my forehead. I could feel his lips brushing my skin as he gathered his thoughts.

"I know that a lot happened tonight… But I'm glad it all lead to you coming here."

"Me too… We have _got_ to do that again. And again. And again."

"Oh, definitely. Even though some of it was a little unexpected. Like you telling me to slap you?"

"Hey, you _did_ smack my ass after I said that!" 

"Because _you_ scratched the crap out of my back! And who am I to deny a lady's request in the bedroom?"

We both laugh before a horrifying thought occurred to me. "Oh god, do you think we were too loud? We couldn't have woken up your dads, right?"

"No, no, they aren't home. They went to some dinner party for the Historical society, said it was gonna run late."

We must have been tempting fate as we both heard soft voices and footsteps coming up the stairs. With matching wide eyed stares, Bow was the first to come up with a plan.

_"Under the bed, hide!"_

I didn't need to be told twice as I slipped out of Bow's warm embrace and crawled under the bed so quickly I probably got a rug burn on my boob. I heard Bow shifting to look like he was sleeping as the door creaked open.

"Bow? We're home."

"Huh? Oh, hi… night George. Night Lance."

Wow, Bow was good at faking sleep. I was so nervous I practically wasn't breathing. From what I could see from under the bed I immediately spotted a flaw in our plan.

My bra was on the floor. Even in the darkness it would definitely be visible from the doorway. Grabbing it wasn't an option, that'd be way too obvious. Maybe they won't look at the floor…? George seemed to continue like we were in the clear...

"Sorry for waking you up. Goodnight Bow."

Then Lance had to ruin all our hope.

"Goodnight Bow. Goodnight Glimmer, you can come out from under there now."

No. No, I'd rather let the floor swallow me whole, so I could disappear thanks. Bow was immediately sitting straight up, his voice cracking as he panicked.

"How did you know?!"

"The neighbors called us when they saw her climbing in your window-"

"You're both lucky they thought to call _us_ and not the police."

"-But it is quite late, we can discuss this in the morning. Goodnight."

I groaned as the door clicked shut, crawling out from under the bed and back in next to Bow. In spite of being completely mortified, he still wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back in to snuggle, running his hand comfortingly through my hair before he murmured.

"Still love me after all that?"

"Of course… it'd take a lot more than getting caught in the act for me to stop loving you."

"Good… cause I still love you too." He let out a very contagious yawn before he continued. "Goodnight, Glimmer."

"Goodnight, Bow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cause Bow is the goodest of boys and wouldn't just let his best friend break in to his house and have her way without INFORMED. ENTHUSIASTIC. CONSENT from both of them. I'm gonna be completely honest, I did not expect to make it this far in this fic. I've got chapter 4 ready to go but I want to get a good chunk through chapter 5 before I publish it. I'm glad people seem to be liking it so far though! I'll try to work quickly to keep it going!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what a lot of you are thinking. Many of you have been asking what's gonna happen here. It's both not what you're thinking and exactly what you're thinking. VERY loosely based on the song "Me Inside of Me" and you guys are lucky I don't do individual chapter titles cause I almost made a REALLY bad pun. For those who aren't familiar with Heathers, this chapter has a trigger warning for mentions of death, read at your own risk.

_"Bow…"_

_"Glimmer…"_

_My brain was quick to play back my night with Bow back in my dreams and I couldn't be happier about it._

_"Wow, Sparkles." I yelped and looked over to see Catra sitting next to the bed, smirking at me. Bow was asleep next to me now- was this real? "This is truly pathetic. Just spreading your legs for the first guy to show you a shred of kindness?"_

_"Catra, what are you doing here? Why are you doing this?"_

_"Uh, because I can? Because it's fun? What, are you gonna stop me? I can't WAIT to tell everyone that the sweet, innocent, precious heiress of Moonstone Industries is actually just a dirty whore!"_

"Glimmer!"

I woke with a start and was greeted by Bow shaking me gently. I was covered in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

"Bow… S-sorry, it was… it was just a nightmare…"

He ran his hand through my hair like he had been before we fell asleep, making sure I was okay before giving me a "I'm clearly joking right now" smile.

"You know, when you said you were gonna keep me up all night, this isn't quite what I had in mind."

"Which part? Your dads totally busting us or my nightmares?"

"Is that not the same thing?"

He always knew just how to put a smile on my face, even if it was just for a little bit. It was quick to fade this time as I sighed and covered my face.

"I have to apologize to Catra…"

"You don't owe her any-"

"Bow, I _puked_ on her. Even if she's actually the worst person I've ever met, puking on someone is still a dick move. Definitely worthy of an apology."

Even he couldn't come up with an argument against that. He sighed and ran his hand down my side while he thought.

"At least let me go with you to apologize."

"Oh, you really don't-"

"It'll be the least I can do after whatever safe sex lecture we get from Lance and George over breakfast."

Oh right. In spite of teasing about it earlier, I completely forgot that his dads had really let us off easy… for now. But when the morning comes we were going to have to face the consequences of my breaking and entering escapade.

After a few extra hours of sleep and and the eternity long most awkward breakfast ever, it came down to this: _'Thank you for being responsible and practicing safe consensual sex, but the door stays open when Glimmer comes over from now on.'_

We held hands while we made our way over to Catra's. I gave Bow a mischievous smile.

"Soooo… My place from now on?"

"You know it."

We laugh and I stop his hand from knocking on Catra's door.

"Her dad's never home either, we can just go in."

Bow looks concerned but doesn't stop me from opening the door.

"I'm starting to think I'm the only one around here whose parents are ever _actually_ home."

"You're just now figuring that out?" I kissed his cheek after the tease before calling into the empty house. "Catra? Catra it's Glimmer… I'm here to apologize!"

From upstairs, I heard her call back, sounding even grouchier than usual.

"Hope you brought kneepads, bitch! Bring me something for this hangover and _maybe_ I won't kill you on sight!"

Bow and I exchange confused glances as we make our way toward the kitchen.

"Okay, I went to like, one party when I was abroad and the other guys did show me a trick or two…"

Bow was half talking to himself as we rummaged through the cabinets. I don't know what possessed me to look under the sink. I really don't. I snorted a little and pulled a bottle of drain cleaner out, setting it on the counter and pouring some in a mug.

"We could just mix this with some Gatorade."

Bow, who was doing… _something_ with a mug, gave me a clearly unamused look.

"Glimmer, knock it off, that would kill her."

"Hey, can't be hungover anymore if you're dead."

"Look, I get it, you're still upset. But if you want revenge so badly, you can come hawk a loogie in this thing I'm making here."

"Ew, that's disgusting!"

"Oh, but _murder_ isn't disgusting?"

"It was a joke!"

"What are you _DOING_ down there, Sparkles? Get _UP_ here before I call the cops to throw your ass out for trespassing!"

I rolled my eyes at Catra's attitude and grabbed the mug from the counter, Bow trailing behind me while we made our way to the source of Catra's screeching. 

She glared at us when we came in, but snatched the mug out of my hands before she spoke. 

"Alright. Start begging." 

Wow, this is gonna be harder than I thought. 

"Catra, I-" 

"You know what… Yeah, I'm gonna need you to get on your knees. Right in front of your- what did you say his name was? Arrow? Yeah, right in front of your little Arrow boy here." 

_Much_ harder. 

"Do I look like I'm joking?" 

Here goes my last shred of dignity, shattering as my knees touched Catra's bedroom floor. 

"Catra, I'm so sorry that I threw up on you last night. I'd never drank before and I just-" 

"Wait wait wait, you're just here to apologize for being a _lightweight_? What about the stabbing me in the back in front of Adora just cause you were afraid you'd get caught?" She doesn't even give me a chance to answer. "Get out of here. You're dead to me, Sparkles." 

That went about as well as expected. Catra upends the mug as I get off the floor. As Bow and I turn to leave, Catra starts coughing, like she's desperately trying to vomit. 

"Glimmer… which mug did you bring up here?" 

"The one that was on the counter…?" 

"They were _both_ on the counter..." 

_Oh my God._

"Catra!" I rushed over to catch her as she collapsed from her bed, my whole body shaking in fear. "Catra, hey, Catra stay awake, please, stay awake!" 

Bow was frozen in fear and shock as he watched what was unfolding in front of us.

"Don't just stand there! Go… go call an ambulance!" 

"Glimmer, we… This looks _bad_ Glimmer." 

"Because it _is_ bad, Bow, but we can still fix it!" 

"Fix it _how_ , Glimmer, we're going to get arrested! Oh man, my dads are gonna kill me-" 

Before Bow could totally spiral, I gently set Catra down and grabbed his hands, giving his whole body a shake to try and bring him back to the present and not a potential future. 

"Pull yourself together! We're not going to jail, we can fix this. I… I've got her handwriting down cold, I could... I could forge a suicide note!" 

Something in Bow's face changes when I say this- like there was a sort of doubt in his mind. 

"Okay… okay, but-" 

"But…?" 

"Glimmer, you have to _swear_ to me that this was really an accident." 

I drop Bow's hands and take a step back from him. 

"Bow… Of _course_ this was an accident. Do. Do you really think that little of me?" 

"No! No no no, of course I don't! I just, ugh, this is really _fucked up_ , Glimmer!" 

" _I know it's fucked up!_ That's why we're going to fix it! Go call an ambulance, I'll take care of stuff in here!" 

I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from Catra's desk, staring at the unconscious girl as I tried to think of a convincing note. Catra probably wouldn't do something super elaborate… 

__To the person reading this note,_ _

__I know that I'm not a good person. I've always known. I'm an angry, unhappy person and I have spent a good part of my life trying to make everyone as miserable as me. I know that when we're not all forced together at school, there won't be a single person left in the world who cares about me. So why put it off. Goodbye._ _

Not super touchy feely, but gets the point across. 

Just hope it was good enough to fool everyone else. 

\---------------- 

Catra, thankfully, did not die. Bow and I called the ambulance fast enough that she was able to get her stomach pumped. My tearful statement about how we just came over so I could apologize for what happened at the party, only to find her like this with the note combined with the exact handwriting match cast off any suspicion from us. All we could do now is hope that when she came to, she didn't immediately rat us out. 

Word of what happened spread quickly and soon everyone in town had heard about Catra's suicide attempt. Bow and I were seen as heroes of circumstance since we'd coincidentally arrived just in time to save her life. I _definitely_ didn't feel like a hero and I'm pretty sure Bow didn't either. 

But no one was taking this harder than Adora. As upset as I'd been with her last night, I couldn't stay mad since I… almost killed her longtime crush and former best friend. We sat at my house with Bow, some dumb movie playing in front of us to try and keep us distracted. Mostly keep Adora distracted, because- 

"You know, maybe I should go check on her-" 

I didn't even move from my seat to pull her back into hers. 

" _You can't._ Even if she's awake, they've probably got her on a 72 hour hold." 

"But if I just go they can-" 

__"Adora."_ _

"Uggggh, okay fine! You're right, you're right…" 

__"Thank you"_ _

I sighed in relief and snuggled back into Bow's side. He was… definitely still a little weird with me but kept his arm wrapped around me anyway. 

"Soooo… How long has this been a thing?" 

Adora pointed at the two of us cuddled up together. Bow lifted his arm to look at his watch. 

"Officially? About… 18 hours?" 

"Glimmer? Adora? I'm home." 

I sat up, knowing immediately that accent could only belong to- 

"Mom! You weren't supposed to be home for another week!" 

Standing in the doorway sure enough was my mother. The only way you'd ever know we were related is the fact that we have the same unique eye and hair color. My mom was a tall, elegant woman who probably could've been a super model if she hadn't chosen the "running a business empire" path instead. She had a beautiful English accent that convinced me my name was spelled with an A until well into kindergarten. I, on the other hand, got stuck with my dad's short genes and no cool accent. 

"I understand darling, but I heard what happened to your classmate and made it back as quickly as I could- Oh! Hello Bow! Delightful to see you again!" 

"Nice to see you again, Angella." 

Wow… she's actually. Being a mom. Normally when stuff goes wrong like this, she'd just have my Aunt come check on me, but she's _here_. 

"Glimmer, may I speak with you privately for a moment? Quickly, I have a city council meeting I must get ready for." 

Ah. Of course. Wasn't really about me, she has another obligation. Bow must have sensed my frustration by the way he squeezed my shoulders before letting me up to follow my mom up to her room. She gives me a knowing smile as she shuts the door behind us. 

"I'm glad to see you and Bow were able to reconnect so quickly. I always liked that boy." 

"Yeah, Bow… Bow is great." 

I'm sure I was blushing based on the look my mom gave me. 

"You know, I received an interesting call from his fathers earlier…" 

__Oh god, round two._ _

"I'm not going to lecture you, especially considering everything else that happened today. But please, do avoid any future breaking and entering. It's unbecoming of a lady." 

"More like makes you look bad…" I grumble probably louder than I meant to with my arms crossed over her. 

"What was that, young lady?" 

"Nothing!" 

My mom narrows her eyes at me briefly before finally noticing that I wasn't wearing jeans or sweatpants for once. 

"Where did you get that skirt? And have you done something different with your hair?" 

"Oh, yeah um. Catra, Scorpia and Entrapta helped me with that…" 

"I didn't realize you'd become so close to them… Catra certainly wasn't ever among my favorites of your classmates, but I had no idea how that girl was suffering." 

"Yeah, me either…" 

"Glimmer…" My mom stands from her vanity to take my face in her hand. It really was cruel that my mom was this angelic looking and I got none of it. "Are you alright?" 

"Yeah, mom I'm fine! Just. A little shaken up is all." 

"I know I'm not as home as often as I ought to be, but if you ever need to talk, or feel as if you need help-" 

"I swear I'm fine, mom! It was… a lot but I wasn't alone!" 

"Glimmer, it's not that I don't believe you-"

"-But you don't believe me" 

"But you've been telling me you're fine every time I've asked for the last several _years!_ And your aunt tells me she only gets the same or similar answers! You're my only child, Glimmer!" Was my mom… about to cry? "I love you more than anything in the world… I can't lose you. So, _please_ , my sweet angel… _Please, talk to me!_ " 

"Mom…" I didn't realize how wrong I'd been earlier. She _was_ trying to be a mom. Maybe sometimes I'm just too hard on her. I wrapped my arms around her to give her a hug. 

"You're right. I'm not fine. But I will be! They're providing mandatory counseling at school this week because of all this. And if I don't feel like that's enough, I promise I'll tell you, okay?" 

I can feel her relax in our embrace, relieved by my confession. She leaned down to kiss my forehead. 

"That's all I wanted, my dear. Thank you." 

"I'm sorry, Mom… I love you." 

Before my mom can say it back, we're interrupted by some shouting downstairs. I think we both knew Bow and Adora weren't tearing up the house, but that wasn't gonna stop us from going downstairs and checking. 

The first thing we were greeted by when we made it downstairs was Adora trying to walk to the front door, but she wasn't getting far because Bow was on the ground, arms wrapped around her ankles.

_"I just need to go check on her!"_

_"No, you don't!"_

I hadn't thought who would win in this scenario: Adora's soccer legs or Bow's new archery arms? 

My mom was just looking on in concern and confusion. 

"I'll… I'll see to it that Adora has someone to speak to about this as well."

"Great idea, Mom." 

Seeing Adora and Bow were in a stalemate, I walked over to help get Adora back on the couch, ready to spend the rest of the night keeping her as distracted as possible. 

In a nicer timeline, maybe we would've actually been having fun. Maybe someday we can actually have fun again… 

_Hopefully._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people were concerned I was going to make Bow a psychopath in this. And to that I say: Why would I need to when Glimmer and her CONSTANT bad decision making is RIGHT THERE? No shade, I still adore Glimmer and all her flaws. So I do title my chapter files and you'll all be pleased to know the next one is just called "The gang goes to therapy". I'm super busy this week so I don't know when chapter 5 will be done, but I'm working on it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am Sisyphus, this chapter was my rock. I intended to finish it well before going 2 months without an update but I actually moved recently so that was part of it. The rest is I forgot how I wanted to tie this all together, I was struggling a bit since this isn't a direct Heathers the Musical fic and taking out Kurt and Ram was making stuff difficult storytelling wise. But I THINK I've got this all figured out and hopefully will update quicker than once every two months. Especially because I don't think this is going to be too much longer! But this chapter is based VERY loosely on the songs Shine a Light (Like so loosely you can really only see it if you squint) and Seventeen, mostly at the end, you'll see that I leaned hard into that one.

"You know, Ms. Weaver seems like such an odd choice for this mandatory counseling."

"Uh huh…"

Scorpia was following me through the halls Monday morning on our way to math class. Bow, ever the overachiever, I'm sure was already in his college level science class with Entrapta.

"I just, I get the sense that she just _really_ does not like her job."

"Uh huh…"

"And I understand that she's the school counselor but, it's no secret that she hates Catra. So like. Why have the faculty member that _hates_ Catra lead everyone through working with their grief over her suicide attempt?"

"Riiiiight, hey Scorpia, why are you still following me? I kinda figured after Lonnie's party you guys were… You know, done with me."

"Done with you? _Ohhh_ , puking on Catra, right… I mean, she was really mad but…" Scorpia's face changed as she tried to explain. "Catra seemed to have it all together… I didn't see any signs of anything wrong like this. So now I'm determined to make sure all my friends are doing okay!"

Oh, Scorpia… The world is too cruel for someone this nice.

"Besides, you know… You and Catra just have so much in common so I figured "keep a really close eye on Glimmer"!"

"We _what!_ "

\-------------------

"She is _impossible_ sometimes, you know?"

"Uh huh…"

Entrapta was barely listening to Bow, she was too enthralled by tinkering with the large machine they were supposed to be working on together. Admittedly, Bow didn't have any idea what this was even for but he would welcome any distraction at this point.

"Like she's just… I love her, of course, I love her but she's just so _stubborn_ and never stops to think of consequences!"

"Bow, I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not at all interested in hearing about your romantic struggles, but I understand if you're comfortable just having someone to talk at, pass me that screwdriver."

"Huh? Oh, sorry… What is this supposed to be anyway?"

"Well if it's calibrated correctly if _could_ be a viable new commercial power generator-"

"Entrapta, that's incredible-!"

"-Or it could become a highly caustic explosive."

" _What!_ "

Bow looked around panicked, checking to see if the teacher had heard Entrapta say "explosive" and wondering if he needed better friends.

"Oh relax, I'm in _complete_ control of this experiment, there's only a 30% chance of serious injury." Bow wasn't sure if he liked those odds. "Anyway, I can understand why you're so worried about Glimmer, all things considered-"

"I don't think you could ever _really_ understand-"

"Since she and Catra are so similar."

" _What!_ "

\-----------------------

"Catra and I are absolutely _nothing_ like each other! Complete opposites!"

"I wouldn't say _complete_ opposites but you're both very…"

\---------------------  
"... Ambitious, jealous, short tempered, it doesn't take a genius level IQ to see the similarities and you're decently smart as far as I can tell."

"But Glimmer is _sweet_ and _fun_ and-"

"Maybe to you but that's because she's had some level of attraction to you since we were all children. I mean, we all remember in 3rd grade…"

\---------------------

"... When you started that fight with Perfuma cause you thought she was trying to be Bow's best friend? That was probably the first time I thought you and our wildcat were similar."

Is _that_ why I started that fight with Perfuma? Wow, how petty…

Before I can even respond to Scorpia's ridiculous assessment that I was anything like Catra, our math teacher called me up to let me know it was my time for that session with Ms. Weaver. I shot Scorpia a look that said _'We aren't done talking about this'_ and made my way to the counselor's office.

\---------------------

"Ms. Weaver?"

"Ah, Glimmer. Come in, come in, shut the door behind you."

Scorpia had been right, Ms. Weaver was a fairly odd choice for mandatory counseling. But that's because nothing about her would make you think she was a counselor. There was just something… _off_ about her. Not that any of us would ever say something like that. On top of that just being rude, we were all pretty sure she could kill us. Reluctantly I took my seat across the desk from her.

"I won't waste your time on foolish questions like "How are you?" We both know the answer-" Oh this is gonna be _too_ easy. "-Is that _you_ are doing just fine."

"What! _Why_ would you assume I'm doing fine? Catra is my friend-"

"-And your worst enemy."

"Same difference! But why would I be fine!"

"Isn't it obvious? Revenge. And I'm not surprised, considering what happened between your fathers…"

I balled my fists, my jaw clenched at the mention of my dad.

"What does my _dad_ have to do with any of this? He died over a decade ago!"

"Yes, a true tragedy… At the hands of Catra's father."

Everything stopped. She just shattered everything I thought I knew about the worst part of my life and dropped it as casually as a change in my class schedule.

"Is that a surprise? How so? You were _so_ close with Catra and even Adora…"

 _Adora knew?_ Is _this_ what they were talking about at Lonnie's party?

"Y-you _can't_ know these things. Why would you-?"

"I wasn't always a school counselor, you know. Before I was aiding the next generation with their education I was the CEO of Black Garnet Industries right hand woman." With a roll of her eyes she continued. "We parted ways when it became clear we had different visions for the future. Instead he's opted to prepare his adoptive daughter to take my place, even if Adora was clearly the superior choice for such a position."

My hands were shaking, I was getting a tension headache from gritting my teeth so hard. Sure, I remember that Catra and Adora had both had rough starts to life and had been in that same foster home until Adora came to live with me, but still… Ms. Weaver had to be lying, she _had_ to.

"Why? Even if any of this is true, why would you tell me? Why should I believe you?"

"Because I look at you and I see a young woman who was failed by a system intended to protect. A girl who deserves better closure than a paid off justice system can provide. Catra could be just the beginning for Black Garnet Industries suffering the consequences they so rightfully deserve."

If she was telling the truth… she was right. They deserved to suffer.

"I… I don't understand why you care so much."

"Well I thought that would be obvious, surely your Aunt has mentioned me. Perhaps she was too young to remember. Regardless, my educational background certainly didn't come from Black Garnet. Before even that, I was a rather renowned private tutor. Your father was my star pupil." Ms. Weaver almost looked… sad as she talked about my dad. "Ah, Micah… To see such potential wasted through senseless violence. Well. That's why we're talking here today. Isn't it?"

My head was spinning as I tried to process what I was hearing. My aunt had said something about a tutor she and my dad had when they were kids… Said she was a rotten woman who tried to teach my dad to value power over everything else. Trying to turn him into a manipulator instead of a leader. Could this really be…?

I decided I'd heard enough and got up from my seat.

" _You_ don't get to talk to me about my dad."

"Who else will, dear girl? Hm?"

I wasn't going to even offer a response for that, even if she was correct. Instead I turned on my heels and left Ms. Weaver's office, my heart pounding in my chest.

\------------------------------------

The rest of the day was a blur, I'd completely shut down after my meeting with Ms. Weaver. Bow could tell something was wrong, I knew he was worried about me, but as the school day went on, there was just no opportunity to tell him what happened. I didn't wanna talk about it where other people might hear, it was too crazy. But Bow wouldn't judge me. Even if he thought it was the absolute craziest thing he's ever heard, he'd listen.

We didn't get a moment alone until the end of the school day. We stood in the empty hallway together as I explained what had happened this morning. The horror on his face was almost vindicating. Going over my meeting with Ms. Weaver broke through the haze of numbness I'd been walking around in all day, anger coursing through my veins. I could feel my body shaking as Bow wrapped his arms around me.

"Glimmer… I'm. I don't even know what to say… I don't know if there's anything _to_ say."

"Someone needs to pay."

" _What!_ "

Bow looks down at me, eyes confused and shocked.

"Catra could just be the beginning! I want every one of those sickos to suffer, put them through just a taste of what I've gone through! Entrapta could be next, super easy, she's always-"

"Glimmer, _stop_!"

Bow pushes me away from his chest, hands anchored on my shoulders as he looked me in the eyes.

"Do you _hear_ yourself? You're talking about _hurting our classmates!_ "

"If they were a part of keeping this from me then they deserve it!"

"Okay, I-"

Bow let go of my shoulders folding his hands together and taking a deep breath.

"I can't do this. I _won't_ do this. I know I said I wasn't going to walk back into your life and tell you what to do and I'm not. I _know_ you're better than this, Glimmer. So you need to make a decision right now. All I want is a _normal_ senior year. And I want that with you. Movie dates, prom night, all of it. But if you're serious about taking this fucked up idea of justice into your own hands, I'm walking away and we're _done_."

That shocked me more than anything else I'd heard today. I'd been so angry I felt ready to go to war against Black Garnet Industries by myself. But now... 

"So what's it gonna be, Glimmer?"

I saw tears shining in Bow's eyes and felt tears stinging in my own. I could do a lot of things, but I couldn't lose Bow. Not again and not for good.

"I choose you. I wanna be with you, I love you Bow."

I threw my arms around him and was relieved when he pulled me in for a tight hug.

"I love you too, Glimmer… _Please_ , just let me help you, get you _real_ help… I can't. I can't promise to solve all your problems, but I'll stay by your side if you promise you'll get the help you _need._ "

He was right. I needed help. I've needed help for longer than I realized as tears started rolling down my cheeks. I could feel Bow crying too as we hugged.

" _I promise…_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand that this might be getting somewhat outlandish, but I'll just remind you that this fic is based on a musical where two teenagers kill 3 of their classmates and get away with it. Also I realize I've tagged this Catradora and there hasn't been much Catradora. I'm working on that too!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was gonna try and update sooner than 2 months. That was a lie. I will never change and that is a promise but now I have the Glimbow server to gently bully me into finishing this! Also if it seems weird that Bow's POV is written in 3rd person, but Glimmer's is written in 1st person, it's because Glimmer is supposed to be a narrow POV, blinded by her emotions while Bow's supposed to give a better idea of the whole picture. That's my totally legit reason and not because I didn't expect to get this far and am making everything up as I go along now. Anyway, this chapter takes some loose inspiration from the song Yo Girl

A few days passed after Glimmer’s session with Ms. Weaver. Today was a little different from usual. Instead of driving Glimmer home like he usually would, Bow told her that he had some studying to catch up on. He hated lying to her, but he knew she would’ve had some objections if he’d told her where he actually was.

Bow had never seen so many flowers in one place before as he entered Catra's hospital room.

_Maybe I should've brought a different gift…_ He thought as he looked down at the bouquet of lilies in his hand. _But what else do you bring that could possibly say 'Sorry my girlfriend and I almost killed you'?_

"Arrow boy, are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna come in and face me already?"

Catra's voice snapped him out of his musing and he took a few tentative steps forward. The girl wrinkled her nose at the sight of more flowers, letting out a quiet sneeze.

" _That's_ your sneeze?" Bow was biting his lip to hide a smile.

"What? It's a normal sneeze! If you're gonna laugh about it, you can save whatever pathetic apology you came here to offer and leave. And take those stupid flowers with you! God, what a way to find out I'm allergic to pollen…"

Bow was quick to clear his throat and force his face back to neutral.

"I won't leave these, then I just… I really did come to-"

"- Find out why I didn't rat you and Sparkles out to the cops?"

"Well I was going to say "apologize", but I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it."

"Predictable." Catra rolled her mismatched eyes and let out a sigh. "The way I see it… if you'd _really_ meant to hurt me, you wouldn't have tried to call for help. I'll admit, I didn't think Sparkles had it in her, I'm almost impressed. Almost."

With a wicked grin, Catra continued.

"Plus, now I'm even more on top than I was before and you and Sparkles owe me _big time_ after all this. Can't do me any favors from jail, now can you?"

Bow just stared at Catra, awestruck. How do you even _respond_ to something like that? Eventually he found his voice.

"I… What. What kind of favor do you want?"

"Dunno. Haven't decided yet." Catra sighed and leaned back on her pillow. "So. They're making Weaver talk to everyone about their _feelings_ or whatever? That's a riot."

"Yeah I've been hearing some sessions are more… _useful._ Than others."

Something about the way he lingers on useful catches Catra's attention.

"Sparkles already go to talk to her?"

Bow hesitates, remembering what Glimmer told him their school counselor had revealed to her, her anger, her _pain._ That hesitation was the only answer Catra needed.

"Arrow boy, listen to me." She sat up in her bed, a serious look on her face. " _Whatever_ you do, keep Sparkles away from Weaver. Make sure she doesn't go back there. That bitch is a _master_ manipulator and if she has something to work with… It's gonna get ugly, trust me."

"Why is it so important to keep _Glimmer_ away? If Ms. Weaver is a manipulator, what makes Glimmer so special? Not that Glimmer isn't special, but this seems… oddly specific."

"Because she and I have way more in common than either of us want to admit. Why do you think I took her under my wing so quickly? We could've been a great team… Or maybe not. Who knows. I… was sorta using her to make Adora jealous."

The bold admission caught Bow by surprise. All Catra had to offer in return was a shrug.

"It was dumb. Adora hates me. There's nothing I could do to change that now."

"I never hated you."

Bow and Catra both jumped at the voice coming from the doorway. Adora stood with a tearstained face, fresh tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“You think I hate you?”

Catra immediately became defensive, looking away from Adora with her arms crossed over her chest.

“If you don’t, you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought you were.” Catra’s voice broke at the end of her sentence, choking up as if she were about to start crying too. Bow suddenly felt as though he were intruding as he watched Adora walk over to Catra’s bedside.

“I could never hate you, Catra. You were my best friend, I- I thought you hated me for leaving and I just. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t go back after what happened, it- it was _so_ fucked up, Catra.”

“Why are you apologizing, dummy? You tried to get me to go with you, I’m the one who turned you down, I’m the one that just turned into a huge asshole and pushed you away and-” Catra couldn’t hide the tears that were streaming down her face now.

“Adora, I’m sorry… For everything.”

The room went quiet for a few moments while Catra’s words hung in the air. Adora had started crying again when she finally broke the silence.

“You always said you’d never apologize for anything ever.”

“Yeah, well… Things change.”

Bow watched as Adora reached for Catra’s hand, taking the look they were giving each other as his signal to leave them be. Plus, he’d only half lied to Glimmer- he and Adora were supposed to be studying for their history test with Entrapta before the pep rally!

“I’ll just… Wait for you in the lobby, Adora.”

\---------------------------------------

“This generator could be huge for commercial power! Of course, there is still the risk of explosion…”

“Uh huh…”

I sighed as I stared out the window of Entrapta’s car- sorry, Darla, as I’d been introduced before she let me climb in the passenger’s seat. Normally, I’d ride home from school with Bow, but he said he had to study today. Though I had to wonder, who was he studying with if not Entrapta?

_‘He lied to you.’_

I let out a huff as this new internal monologue that sounded suspiciously like Catra rang in my head, sewing doubts of Bow’s love for me.

“-The issue of it potentially detonating, but the only way it could do any serious damage is if it were to be put in the boiler room under the gym- the heart of Etheria High so to speak. _Then_ the blast could cause enough damage to the supporting walls to cause a major structural collapse!”

_‘Why shouldn’t he lie to you? He should be disgusted with you.’_

Trying to listen to Entrapta while attempting to tune out Catra taunting me in my mind was getting draining, my head starting throb with an oncoming tension headache from my grit teeth.

“I’m sure Bow’s told you all about that though. Or maybe he hasn’t, I don’t know how fully he understands-”

_‘What he does understand is that you’re a monster and he’s done with you’_

“SHUT UP!”

Entrapta braked so hard that the car squeaked, causing her to mutter an apology to Darla before we sat in silence.

“Entrapta, I-”

“That wasn’t very nice. I know I can ramble on and I’m not very good at people, but… That’s not how friends talk to each other.”

“I know, and you’re so right and I’m so-”

“Glimmer, I think I’d prefer it if you walked the rest of the way from here. Darla and I can spend some quality time together.”

I couldn’t very well argue with that, we weren’t too far from my house anyway. I grabbed my backpack and got out of Darla, careful not to shut the door too hard before I watched Entrapta drive off.

_‘Wow… Aren’t we just birds of a feather? I couldn’t have been snappier to Entrapta if I tried.’_

“I wasn’t snapping- oh, great, now I’m talking to myself.”

_‘Not like you didn’t already know you were crazy’_

I shook my head at the fact that I was actually indulging the voice in my head and made my way home. I hadn’t been expecting anyone to be there so I was surprised when I saw Adora at the kitchen table working on some homework.

“Hey. Don’t you normally have track practice?”

Without looking up or missing a beat Adora shook her head and answered. “The pep rally’s tonight so we got the day off. In like an hour I’m heading up to school to study with Bow and Entrapta for a little bit beforehand, do you need a ride? Or is Bow gonna come get you?”

“Uh, no I’m good…”

_‘You never asked her about what happened at Lonnie’s party, about what Weaver told you. Now’s your chance.’_

“Hey, Adora?” The question leaves my mouth before I can even stop myself. Adora finally looks up from her textbook to look at me. “The other night, at Lonnie’s party… What- Catra said something and with everything that’s been going on I haven’t-”

“Glimmer, it was really nothing. I think you’d be happier if we just forgot it ever-”

“And I was going to, really. But then I had my meeting with Ms. Weaver the other day and she said some things that just really got me thinking.”

I could tell from the look on Adora’s face that I was onto something, something she didn’t want to talk about.

“Wh-what do you mean? What does Ms. Weaver have to do with-”

“Cut the shit, Adora, you’re the worst liar I’ve ever met.” I pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat across from her, arms crossed over my chest. “Stop trying to protect yourself and stop trying to protect Catra. Tell me _everything_.”

Adora sighed and gave me a sad look, putting her book away.

“The only person I was trying to protect was you, Glimmer. I just… I thought it would hurt too much.”

“So you lied to me?”

“I never lied! It was just a lot to take in and I didn’t understand-”

“Didn’t understand that Black Garnet Industries _somehow_ played a part in my dad’s death?”

My accusation hung heavy in the air between us, the tension could be cut with a knife.

“... Yeah. That.” I raised my eyebrow, waiting for Adora to continue. “I guess I need to start from the beginning. Well, maybe not the _very_ beginning, you already know Catra and I used to be in the same foster home- she’s still there and Ms. Weaver was. Well she wasn’t our foster mother, she was more like our nanny. But a bad one.”

I actually hadn’t known that about Ms. Weaver, but I wasn’t about to interrupt.

“Growing up there wasn’t ever easy, but we had each other so it was okay. And then in middle school, we snuck into our foster dad’s office. We were never supposed to go in there, but Ms. Weaver left the door unlocked. We found some… paperwork. About the “accident” and I just…” Adora paused again, still not meeting my eyes. “Catra just wanted to forget about it and move on but I just could stay under his roof anymore knowing what had happened. So that’s when I started befriending you and trying to… Get out.”

“So you wanted to make nice with me because you felt guilty?”

“No, of course not! Glimmer, I-”

“I trusted you! I thought after Bow moved away I was going to be alone forever and then you were there! You were my best friend, I convinced my mom to let you stay with us… I can’t believe it was all fake…”

“Glimmer, I swear-”

“Why should I believe you! You kept this secret from me for years! Were you ever gonna tell me?”

“I don’t know, were you ever gonna tell me why you were so buddy buddy with Catra all of a sudden?”

Adora’s head finally snapped up to look at me, furious tears shining in her blue eyes.

“I… This isn’t about me!”

“Catra was so close to mending things… She invited me to Lonnie’s Homecoming party, that has to mean something! And then the next day…”

_‘She’s on to you.’_

“Did you say something to her to make her change her mind? To make her want to-”

_‘Do you have the guts?’_

In spite of the situation, I heard myself laughing, getting up from my seat.

“You think she _changed_ her mind? She didn’t change anything! She didn’t even write that note, she had me do it! Scorpia and Entrapta were in on it too and you fell for it, just like she knew you would. Catra doesn’t give a shit about you or anyone else. She’s the same mythic bitch she’s always been.”

Whatever Adora had been about to say left her, her anger fading as her tears started flowing down her cheeks. Without another word, she grabbed her backpack and left.

_‘Wow, you are just on a vicious roll today? Maybe Scorpia was onto something, we do have a lot in common’_

“Shut up. I had to hurt her, otherwise-”

_‘She’d rat you out? You did that for YOUR benefit not hers and we both know that. And don’t make that face. Only a real best friend would give it to you straight like that.’_

“I don’t have any friends. Friends don’t hide important shit from you.”

The warpath I’d been on against Black Garnet Industries was reignited. I’d been right the first time. They all needed to pay. And thanks to Entrapta, I knew exactly how to make them suffer.

The pep rally would be completely unforgettable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting really close to the end! You'll notice I've actually put a final number of chapters on this and there's only two left! Next chapter is going to be the climax and then the epilogue! I will make no promises of release timelines, I know I'm not going to meet it if I do because of who I am as a person.


End file.
